Robert II

I panhandle outside of the offices of Williamson Bros. almost every day. It’s good to have a regular spot, sometimes you even get regulars, people who get to know you and give you money every day. I get to know their names, about their families, where the work, all you have to do is show interest and people will talk to you. The more they talk to you the more likely they are to give you something. Who ever said that panhandling didn’t need social skills?

Because I panhandle out in front of their offices I get a lot of money from the people who work for Williamson Bros. Their lunch break is the best time because a lot of them leave the office to go out to eat around the city. It was around noon that two men walked out of the office doors, one of them was a man who always gives me a dollar or two. He didn’t disappoint me. The other man never has given me anything before but today, probably because his friend gave me something, he followed suite. That was a windfall.

“Where you do you want to eat today Robert?” asked the man who usually gave me money. The man called Robert grinned.

“I’ve got a lot of money to spare these days, let’s go to a nice restaurant, my treat.”

“Alright,” agreed the man who gives me money readily.

I was still outside of the building when the two men returned. The man who was called Robert was smelling a little of drink, but he wasn’t acting like he was drunk. I couldn’t imagine that anyone working for a firm like Williamson Bros. would come to work drunk. I don’t know a lot about business but they have the reputation for being a very respectable place.

“You just aren’t smart enough,” Robert was telling his friend. “It’s easy enough to save money, even in these hard times, if you’re smart.”

“Well sorry for not being as smart as you. If you’re so smart then why are you working here? You could be off making your millions by now.”

“Okay, so I’m not that smart. I don’t think I could make my living without this place,” Robert admitted. They both went into the building.

An hour later a police car pulled up on the street, with its lights and siren going. I jumped at first, police aren’t always friendly, but they didn’t even look at me, they ran right into the office building. A couple of minutes later they came out again, this time with the man called Robert handcuffed. He was shouting that he was innocent but they shoved him in the squad car and drove off. I think it was all in all the strangest day I have had while standing on this sidewalk, I have a good spot but if this sort of thing continues I’m going to move.

My boss was taken by the police today, the head of the office says that he’s suspected Robert of embezzlement for a long time, that our books are off all the time. Robert’s cubical is near mine, so I could hear everything that was being said. Usually I hate having a cubical so close to the boss’s because it means I can’t gossip at all without being caught. It was entertaining this time though, life in the office usually lacks excitement but not today.
To be continued...